B.S. in Nursing

B.S. in Nursing

The Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is a four year program that consists of four semesters of lower division course work and four semesters of upper division course work that prepares students for a career in professional nursing by providing a dynamic course of study that is both theoretical and practical. As citizens of a larger community, our focus is to address the complex health care needs of diverse and dynamic populations through nursing education, research, scholarship and service. Our students graduate prepared to demonstrate excellence in nursing science, practice and leadership in a variety of settings for the benefit of clients across the lifespan and to meet the evolving health care needs of society. Our BSN program also provides the necessary foundation for masters and doctoral degrees in nursing.

Students have access to innovative Patient Simulation and Standardized Patient Centers. Faculty have the highest qualifications and conduct research in their areas of specialization.

By including a core of knowledge in the humanities and the behavioral, physical, and biological sciences, as well as theory and practice of professional nursing graduates of the BSN program will be prepared to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

Students who have previously earned a degree may either apply to our Traditional BSN, or to our second degree MEPN program. Information for this program may be found here.

The baccalaureate degree in nursing program at University of Louisville School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ccne-accreditation The school received reaccreditation in 2011 with regular reporting for a period of ten years. Our next accreditation review will be completed before 2021. For more information, see the School's accreditation page. The University of Louisville is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) www.louisville.edu/accreditation

Lower Division

Lower Division consists of a minimum of 61 hours. Students may take some lower division course work online if offered. Students may also complete their lower division course work part time. Admission to lower division takes place through the UL Office of Undergraduate Admission. The list of lower division courses can be found on the PDF provide below. A list of KCTC equivalent lower division courses is also provide below. Students attending a KCTCS school must be admitted to lower division to complete Pathophysiology and Pharmacology at the University of Louisville.

Transfer students from schools not in the KCTCS system are welcome to request a transfer equivalency evaluation through the Office of Transfer Services. Please click here, to find contact information regarding this process.

Upper Division

Admission to upper division is competitive and consists of 59 hours of lecture and clinical course work. UL School of Nursing accepts 100 students each fall and 100 students each spring. Upper Division consists of four semesters with no summer courses. Upper Division does not have an online option. Classes meet for lecture or clinical Monday-Thursday and can be scheduled anytime between 6am-9pm depending on clinical site. An innovative curriculum will be implemented in the Fall 2017 semester for the undergraduate BSN program; therefore, for pre-licensure programs completion of a Clinical Nursing Assistant (CNA) program is a clinical compliance requirement.

Admission in good standing to the lower division of Nursing requires a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 2.8 along with an ACT Composite of 22 and ACT Math of 22. High school students who do not meet this requirement may be admitted conditionally by the Office of Undergraduate Admission. Effective for fall 2018 admission 3.0 high school grade point average required.

Transfer Students from KCTCS Schools and ULtra with 24 or more transferable credit hours are asked to email your appropriate advisor to request an evaluation of course work for lower division. All transfer students are required to be advised prior to registering.

INTERNAL TRANSFERS

Students who are currently enrolled at UL may transfer into the lower division of Nursing by completing an Intra-university Transfer Request. To be eligible to transfer into the lower division of Nursing, a student must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.8 and have completed one semester at UL. Intra-university transfer requests are approved at the end of each semester.

UPPER DIVISION

Deadlines – May 1st for Fall Term; September 15th for Spring Term

Admission to upper division is competitive. The School of Nursing admits 100 students in the fall and 100 students in the spring.

Students interested in applying to upper division must have the following to be eligible for consideration.

Admission to lower division of Nursing through the Office of Undergraduate Admission.

Minimum 2.8 cumulative college GPA.

Minimum 3.0 nursing program gpa is required effective Fall 2019.

Student must be in the last semester of completing all lower division course work at time of application. * Students applying for fall admission may finish remaining lower division course work the summer prior to the fall semester to which they are applying.

PROOF OF COMPLETION FOR REQUIREMENTS 1-5 MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF NURSING OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES (OSS)

NOTE: KEEP COPIES OF ALL COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR RECORDS; THEY WILL BE NEEDED FOR YOUR LAST SEMESTER.

CPR Certification:Must complete CPR training through the American Heart Association: BLS for Healthcare Providers.Requirement fulfilled by providing a copy of the CPR card to OSS.

HIPAA Training Courses:Registering for HIPAA courses offered via the CITI platform (www.citiprogram.org) Upon completion, a printout of the completion page for HIPAA security and HIPAA basic must be submitted to OSS. Only required prior to first semester of clinicals. Does not have to be renewed unless notified by the university.Requirement fulfilled by providing a copy of the Completion Page to OSS.

Bloodborne Pathogen Compliance:Course offered online by the university and provides a Certificate of Completion.Required Yearly.Requirement fulfilled by providing a copy of the Certificate of Completion to OSS.

Professional Liability InsurancePlease apply early. It may take 4-6 weeks to receive your policy after you apply. Effective date of policy should be first day of semester. Nursing Student Coverage with limits of $1,000,000 to $3,000,000.Requirement fulfilled by submitting a copy of the policy cover page that has been issued with an effective date and coverage limits. An application is NOT proof of coverage.

CNA Training:Documentation of completion of a Medicaid approved State Registered Nursing Assistant Program. OR Submission of documentation of 100 hours of direct health patient care work experience within the past 12 months. Students are not required to take the SRNA certificate exam. Submit Work Verification Form available at www.louisville.edu/nursing/academics/cna

Drug Screening:Please go to the following website for instructions on how to register for the test.https://castlebranch.com Use the same account that you used when you established your background check. If you don’t know your account information, contact the CBC Customer Service Department at (888) 666-7788 ext. 7194. Your package code for UofL is NI53dt.Required for first semester clinicals.Requirement fulfilled upon the SON receipt of test results from the Castlebranch company. All results will be kept confidential.The testing site closest to you can be found on the Castlebranch.com website. Please keep your login and password in case it is needed for future use. Students will be required to pay for the testing.You will receive the results of your drug screen. However, if you are unable to provide evidence of a negative drug screen, you will not be allowed to attend clinical and thus must withdraw from all clinical courses. Please note that Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 314.031 has mandatory reporting requirements for licensed nurses that the SON must follow.

Advisors are on two campuses during the week, so we ask that you email us for faster customer service.

BSN Program Information Sessions and Tours for High School Students

The School of Nursing holds information sessions and tours for high school students on Fridays directly following the morning information session and tour on Belknap. These sessions are primarily for high school juniors and seniors interested in the School of Nursing and last approximately one hour. The School of Nursing is located in downtown Louisville on the UofL Health Science Campus, not on the main Belknap Campus.

A: Students may attend full or part-time while enrolled in lower division. Upper division requires full-time enrollment for four consecutive semesters.

Q: What is the length of the program?

A: It is possible to complete the program in four years if students are enrolled full-time while in lower division.

Q: What degree is earned?

A: Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Q: What is the grade point average required for admissions?

A: A minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.8 is required for admission into lower division. A minimum 3.0 nursing program grade point average is required for consideration into upper division, effective fall 2019.

Q: How competitive is it to get into upper division?

A: The applicant pool credentials vary with each admit term. The applicants are ranked on their program grade point average. The number of applications has ranged from 90-160 for Louisville and 20-25 for the Owensboro campus. Historically, the program grade point averages have been over 3.3 for admitted students.

Q: What happens if I am not admitted into upper division?

A: Students that are not admitted into upper division are advised to meet with their academic nursing advisor to plan a strategy on improving the quality of their application or other options. This may include repeating courses, looking into other health profession related majors or other nursing programs.

Q: Can I take courses at other institutions and transfer them into nursing?

A: Students may transfer courses from other regionally accredited institutions. All courses are evaluated at the university level through the Transfer Department in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for course equivalency.

Q: Are there additional costs for the nursing program?

A: Yes, in addition to the undergraduate tuition rate, the upper division nursing program includes lab and clinical fees, incidentals such as uniforms, stethoscopes, technology software and hardware, and textbooks.

Q. Is Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training required?

A. CNA training is a Clinical Compliance requirement for Upper Division. More information